Effective July 5, 2007, we are revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) to allow mailers to use a new process, Direct Delivery Point Validation or “DirectDPV,” as a valid coding method to qualify address lists for use in automation rate mailings.
The Postal Service™, in cooperation with the mailing industry, developed this new method to provide mailers an additional alternative to the current processes available to update mailers’ electronic mailing lists for automation rate mailings. Other methods for obtaining delivery point or ZIP+4® codes are by using the Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS)™–certified address matching software with components DPV™ and LACSLink™; CASS-certified Z4CHANGE process; NCOALink™; or DSF2™ process.
Similar to Z4CHANGE, DirectDPV™ has the distinctive feature of reducing frequency and increasing the speed with which address records are processed, minimizing expensive and time-consuming computer processing. CASS-certified address matching software using DirectDPV will quickly and efficiently identify delivery points within a mailer’s list that have undergone changes and require updating.
Beginning with 2007–2008 Cycle L, CASS-certified address matching software with DPV™ and LACSLink™ will assign a ZIP+4 code to an address record only when the primary address number is DPV confirmed. DirectDPV is a database table with five years of data that will indicate when delivery point changes occur.
DirectDPV will help many mailers by eliminating the need to reprocess their entire address list each time address updating is performed. This new process identifies only those records where changes have occurred so only address records that require updating need to be reprocessed for matching and coding.
Mailers who take advantage of DirectDPV must comply with the following requirements: First, address lists must be completely reprocessed using any of the approved matching and coding methods noted above, except the Z4CHANGE process. This complete processing of the address lists need to be performed only once a year thereafter. Then on a semi-annual basis, the address lists, using only addresses that have been delivery point barcoded, are processed against the DirectDPV product to identify only those records that have changed within the past 6 months.
Addresses identified through DirectDPV as having changed, and new addresses that were not previously coded with a CASS Cycle L–compliant software product, become the only records that must be reprocessed through CASS-certified address matching software to obtain the current ZIP+4 code or delivery point code.
Mailers must develop, buy, or lease software to access the DirectDPV file. As with address matching software used to qualify mail for postage discounts, DirectDPV access software must pass Postal Service certification before the software may be used on address lists for automation mailings. Mailers using a vendor’s certified DirectDPV product without modification are automatically certified.
For more information about DirectDPV and a free technical guide, call the National Customer Support Center in Memphis at 800-238-3150.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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700 Special Standards
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708 Technical Specifications
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3.0 Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS)
3.1 Basic Information
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3.1.3 Methods
[Revise 3.1.3 to include DirectDPV as follows:]
Delivery point or ZIP+4 coding may be obtained by using the CASS-certified DPC address matching software with components DPV and LACSLink; CASS-certified Z4CHANGE process; CASS-certified DirectDPV process; NCOALink; or DSF2 process.
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3.3 Date of Address Matching and Coding
3.3.1 Update Standards
[Revise the first sentence in 3.3.1 to include DirectDPV as follows:]
Unless Z4CHANGE or DirectDPV is used, all automation and carrier route mailings bearing addresses coded by any AIS product must be coded with current CASS-certified software and the current USPS database.***
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[Add new 3.3.3, DirectDPV List Matching, as follows:]
3.3.3 DirectDPV List Matching
When using DirectDPV to match and code address lists for automation rate mailings:
a. The entire address list must first be matched and ZIP+4 coded with Cycle L (or later) CASS-certified software and the current USPS ZIP+4 product.
b. Every 180 days after the initial matching, the address list must be processed through DirectDPV using Cycle L (or later) CASS-certified address matching software to identify changed records since the last update.
c. If an address record was previously ZIP+4 coded and that ZIP+4 code is not in DirectDPV, it does not need to be run through CASS-certified address matching software until the annual run. Address records identified as changed through DirectDPV that have a valid converted 11-digit record require additional processing. These records can either be reconstructed using the 11-digit code provided or reprocessed through CASS-certified software. Address records identified as changed through DirectDPV that have a zero 11–digit code must then be matched and coded using Cycle L (or later) CASS-certified address matching software and the current USPS ZIP+4 product.
d. The entire address list must be processed once a year using current CASS-certified address matching software and the current USPS ZIP+4 product.
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3.6 CASS Certification
3.6.1 Testing Arrangements
[Revise 3.6.1 as follows:]
To obtain information on standards and arrange for testing of carrier route, ZIP+4, or delivery point address matching software, contact the National Customer Support Center by calling 1-800-238-3150, or by writing to the CASS Certification Department, National Customer Support Center (see 608.8.0 for address).
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3.6.4 Certification Standards
[Revise 3.6.4 as follows:]
To be CASS-certified:
a. Delivery point code address matching software/hardware must correctly ZIP+4 code the addresses in the Stage II file or test deck with an accuracy rate determined by the CASS Certification Department and must correctly append the additional two digits of the delivery point code (plus a check digit) to the Stage II file or test deck with 100% accuracy.
b. A 2-digit utility (separate or stand-alone address matching software that appends only the correct 2–digit DP9019C information) must use the standardized address information returned by DPC address matching software when determining the correct delivery point code. A 2-digit utility must assign the 2-digit delivery point code (plus a check digit) to the addresses in the Stage II file with 100% accuracy.
c. Address matching software used to assign 5-digit ZIP Codes and carrier route codes must assign the appropriate codes to the Stage II file with an accuracy rate determined by the CASS Certification Department.
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We will incorporate this revision into the next update of the online DMM on Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com and into the next printed edition.
— Mailing Standards,
Pricing and Classification, 7-5-07
